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911 Under the Bed
Location: Los Angeles, California Date: September 21, 1989 Story On the morning of September 21, 1989, eighteen-year-old Wendy Carlyle was home alone at her grandmother's house in a suburb of Los Angeles. She had just gotten out of the shower and was putting on her makeup when she suddenly heard a knock on the door. She saw two men standing there whom she didn't recognize. After knocking at the door and not getting a response they both came to the backyard and as far as she was concerned they were coming in the house. She quietly shut the screen door and went to grab the dial phone but figured out that she did not have much time, so she raced to her bedroom, picked up the digital phone, and called 911. LA County Sheriff's Deputy Ray Webb took the call. "When the 911 call came in, I couldn't even understand her at first. She was talking very quietly," said Webb. He told Wendy to stay on the phone with him and she started to panic and tried to hide in the bathroom. His dispatcher, Dina Linken, took over the typing and sending the call out. Sergeant Carl Deely was the first officer to respond. Wendy heard the suspects come in, quietly ran into her bedroom, and hid under the bed. Webb told her that the police were there and not to move. She started crying, he told her to stay under the bed, and that it would be okay. "I didn't know the time frame it took, but it seemed like eternity," said Webb. The police saw one of the suspects who ran back in the house. They shouted to the suspects to come out, put their hands in front of them, and that the house was surrounded. They saw one under the bed and handcuffed him. Wendy thought there was a third one. The police took the phone from Wendy and spoke to Webb. "When the call was over, I sat back and breathed one heck of a sigh of relief," said Webb. The officers helped Wendy come out and comforted her. "When I got to the bedroom, she was so hysterical at the time. She thought that we were the suspects. She didn't even recognize us," said Sergeant Deely. For her own safety, Wendy was taken a few blocks away until the house was clear. There was only one more suspect hidden somewhere inside. Smudge marks on the wall pointed the deputes to the only place they had not yet searched; the tiny attic. The job of taking the suspect was turned over to police dog Marko and his handler when no one answered the deputy's orders to come out of the attic. The police picked up Marko, carried him up the ladder, and put him into the attic. "It was a matter of about five seconds that we heard the suspect yelling because the dog had grabbed onto his leg. He wanted the dog off," said Sergeant Deely. The suspects were arrested on charges of burglary and awaiting trial. "Wendy did real well. If she had never made it to the phone she would have been an assault victim or worse," said Webb. "I am very grateful for the 911 system. Officer Webb helped save my life. Every fifteen minutes I have to go over to check the windows and make sure the doors are locked. I'm just happy to be alive. I'll be okay," said Wendy. Category:1989 Category:California Category:Robberies Category:Crimes